2011 Sneak Peak: Teal Mirage by Maaji

Damsels in distress, move over! The new 2011 Maaji swimwear collection (debuting this November), “Flying Tales”, is for powerful princess-types to save themselves from the dragon and win their true love’s heart. It’s a sexy line of womens swimwear that calls back to your childhood fantasies, so that you can wear a swimsuit that reminds you of exactly what you had wanted to be when you grew up. The combination of little-girl’s dream with adult swimsuit packs that real “WOW” factor that Maaji is known for, with their mix-matched patterns and vintage appeal.

Bow Wow Bikini by Maaji

With names like Whimsical Sky, Mythicaleidoscope, and Mighty Wings, you’ll feel like a true super-girl in one of these suits. But best of all are the many little details that are characteristic of Maaji’s luxury swimsuits: colorful buttons, bows, ruffles, criss-cross fabrics, and keyholes details can all be found in this fantastical new collection.

And just like superheriones have secret identities, so do these suits: all Maaji swimsuits are reversible, meaning they hold a secret alternate suit pattern on the inside! This print or pattern on the inside of the suit changes with each batch of the suit that Maaji produces, so each individual suit’s alter ego is revealed only when you receive it and see!

Peach Lucky Hit bikini by Maaji

So show the world that you dream big with the Maaji “Flying Tales” collection, available this fall from The Orchid Boutique! In the meantime, check out the mega Maaji sale going on right now!

Animal print swimsuits were first seen in the 1950s. It was quite a revolution! Swimsuits had printed fabrics for years before that, but putting animal prints on swimsuits made a literal “splash.” In order to sell women on the idea of animal prints on their swimwear, advertisers came up with this tagline: “If you can’t drive a Jaguar, wear one.”

Me-ow! We sure would love to do both if possible: drive a sexy car and own luxurious animal print swimwear! But if we’re forced to chose, we’ll take the bikinis and head to the beach! Especially with choices like the Tamed Tiger Bandeau bikini from Sabz Luxury and the Bardot Ruffle bikini by ViX. Yes, please! Or you can check out the entire selection of animal print swimsuits to find what suits your inner animal.

Creole Hardware Bikini by OndadeMar Swimwear
Spring Break bikinis are best when they’re colorful, stylish, and just a little bit different. You can get all that in this halter bikini from OndadeMar. You’ll stand out wearing the bright fuchsia, green, and blue tones of this suit. There’s sliding gold hardware detail on both the top and the bottoms, which you can adjust to customize your look.

The Sexy Chain Monokini by Sabz Luxury
A great monokini is always a head-turner, and this green piece does double-duty with its snake and chain print design. You’ll love the cutout detail at the center and crossover strap! Monokinis like this one look like a bikini from the back, but provide tummy coverage on the front. (Which is great if you haven’t quite worked off those last pesky pounds from the holidays!) The front panel also creates a flattering shape with its curved sides. Definitely a top pick!

Bendito Brownie by Agua Bendita Swimwear
This skirted bikini just screams “fun!” and that’s what makes it perfect for spring break. The sheer ruffle fabric on the neckline and the skirty bottom is soft and flirty, and it comes detailed with hand-embroidered flower details. Underneath the ruffles you’ll find a lovely green fabric with an unexpected pattern: black cats!

Kai Pin-Up Halter by Despi

Ah, halter swimsuits! We love them because they’re the most universally flattering of all swimsuit styles. Nearly all body types look good in halter-style swimwear.

For big-busted gals, they can be a god-send in terms of the amount of support they provide. Thicker neck straps help keep everything in place. And the cups of halter tops tend to cover more than tiny triangle tops, while still giving shape and sexiness – often with a plunging neckline to go with it.

Smaller-chested ladies can benefit from halter top swimsuits, as well. They add shape and lift while creating an over-all larger visual effect. Quite a few halter top swimsuits come with padding as well, for an extra boost.

Lollipop Halter Monokini by Sabz Luxury

Halter tops are available in many colors, prints, and even styles! They might just be the most prolific of all swimsuit styles. You can get a halter bikini, a halter one-piece, even a halter monokini to flatter your curves! To get a peak at the variety of halter swimsuits available, check out the Halter Top trend section of our designer swimsuit store.

Elegant

Step out of the water and into a little black dress! Specifically, we recommend the Little Black Dress from Betsey Johnson’s Ladies and Gentlemen collection. This strapless little number comes with a black velvety brush design from the bustline to the bottom. And its versatile design means you can wear it at non-pool parties, as well!

Casual

Want to just toss on a cover-up to protect you from the sun and wind? Something that looks great by itself, but you can also pull on a pair of jeans to go with it? The Black Embroidered Tunic from Badgley Mischka is just such a piece! The soft, light fabric is fun and casual for lounging with friends and enjoying tropical sun and drinks!

Fun

If you’re looking for 100% pure fun, the Morning Garden Shorts from OndadeMar Vintage fit the bill! Soft, sheer floral fabric with glitter details, bead fringe on the bottom, and something else: drawstrings on the sides so that you can decide exactly how much you want to “cover” up! These flirty shorts are just the thing for a pool party where you’re hoping to catch the eye of a certain someone!

Check out some other cover-ups for pool parties and beyond. And don’t forget to complete your pool party ensemble with earrings!

Mariposa Earrings by Lolindo

We know the moment you get a pool party invitation, your mind jumps right to “what swimsuit am I going to wear?” But don’t stop there! Looking and feeling great is all about details, so if you’re going to spend more time by the pool than in it, you need a pair of great earrings to wear with your designer swimsuit.

We have a few gorgeous pairs of earrings in mind! If you were wearing a colorful swimsuit such as the Bendita Truffa, you could pair it with the Mariposa earrings. These little green butterflies look just darling with this suit, and are just enough color to hold their own without clashing. And we just love the dangling hearts!

Cathedral Earrings by Lolindo

Or make a statement with gold Cathedral earrings. These delicate earrings are lightweight so that you can wear them for the whole party without feeling a pull. They’d be a great addition to any poolside suit, but we just love the way they go with the gold accents of the Lux bandeau bikini!

Just remember: take your earrings out before taking a dive! And stay tuned, because tomorrow we’ll talk about cover-ups to complete your pool party wardrobe.

Lolita as a halter swimsuit

If you haven’t met Lolita yet, it’s time you did! We feel in love with this purple luxury bikini the moment we saw it. It’s a real knockout, so allow us to introduce you…

The great thing about the Lolita bikini is how seamlessly it converts from a bandeau top to a halter. Tie the soft straps up behind your neck, and it’s a gorgeous halter. Tie the straps down behind your back, and its instantly a strapless bandeau top. Perfect for avoiding weird tan lines when lying in the sun! Switch between when you switch activities (from lounging to swimming), or pick your favorite of the two looks and stick to it.

Lolita as a bandeau swimsuit

Lolita’s bottom is just as desirable as the top. The shirred sides don’t just look great, they help to avoid any embarrassing “muffin top” that might occur with other bathing suits. And the shirred sides come with sliding gold “ViX” hardware that can be moved from front to back, or removed completely, to further customize your look.

The whole thing comes in a soft, luxurious fabric in a smooth purple color that is so in right now. So you see, we can’t help but love the Lolita bikini – it’s so perfect!

Some tips to help you keep your bikini body New Year’s resolution:

Surfer Girl bikini by Sabz Swimwear

Healthy Choices: New Year’s seems like a good time to make drastic change, but slow and gradual change is more likely to stick over the long run. Instead of trying to change your whole diet, focus on one meal like breakfast (just don’t overcompensate at lunch and dinner!). Pick up one extra exercise routine instead of trying to do something new for an hour a day, five days a week.

Mark Your Progress: Get a calendar that shows the whole year at a glance – all of 2010. If you make healthy choices one day relating to your goal, mark that day off with a red X. Try to get long chains of red Xs going where you don’t miss a day. You’ll get into it and you won’t want to “break the chain!” (This idea came from the most unlikely of places – it’s how Jerry Seinfeld motivates himself to write jokes every day!)

Motivation: Psychologists agree that having a visual representation of your goal can really help you to stay focused. Get pictures of the bikini you want to show off, and put them everywhere! Put a picture in your wallet so that you’ll see it when you go to buy lunch. Make a great designer bikini picture your desktop background to remind you each time you sit down to your computer. And don’t hide your swimsuits in the back of your closet! Bring them front and center to remind you each day of your goal.

Slow and steady wins the race, so make a bikini-ready body your New Year’s resolution, and keep it!

Flirty and feminine, ruffles have come a long way from the frilly dresses of the past. They’re a great contrast to the sleek and tailored items in your wardrobe, and they add just the right amount of flair. And we happen to think they’re especially sexy on women’s swimwear!

Glamazon ruffled bikini by OndadeMar Swimwear

For that red carpet look seen on Julianne Hough, Zoe Saldana, and Becki Newton above, try the Glamazon bikini by OndadeMar swimwear (seen at right). These ivory ruffles are hot, hot, hot! Throw on a black sarong or cover-up to complete the celebrity look.

Looking for more ruffles to spice up your swimwear? Betsey Johnson swimwear is really rocking the ruffle trend right now, with the Layer Cake collection full of frilly fuchsia ruffles! And Betsey’s other collections for 2010 have ruffles and skirty options, as well. Plenty of ruffles to go around!

Lipstick Cabachon One-Piece Swimsuit

A little bit of red is always essential to get us into the Christmas spirit.

Few things are quite as stunning as a red one piece swimsuit! And if you’re headed for a warm beach this Christmas, there’s no better time to show one off. Get in the  spirit and show off your Christmas colors with the sexy Lipstick Cabachon one-piece from Badgley Mischka.

Adorable and adjustable, the skirty bottom can be pulled in with drawstrings to reveal more of your hips. Or leave it down if you’re a fan of the skirted look. Either way, you’ll be in style, and in season in this richly-colored red suit!

We also think the gold plate with white stone details at the center is quite festive as well: like a trendy little ornament for the front of your suit.

After all, who said red suits at Christmas were strictly for jolly old men with reindeer? If you don’t have this suit already, maybe Santa will put it under the tree for you! Or maybe it’s the perfect little Christmas present: from you, to you.